Demon City is my Urban Fantasy Dream.
Someone has just killed Death. And now no one else can die.
Demons now live among us. The cops can't keep up.
Let’s continue our spooky season showcase at Storytellers Forge! So, me (Rick Heinz), crazy guy who is powered by caffiene and whiskey has an absurd love for Urban Fantasy things. Hell, I write about demons crashing back into the world. It’s the entire premise of my novel series! Hell Boy, Constatine, Mercy Sparxxx are some of my favorite series of all time.
They can step aside for the moment.
Enter Trevor Mueller. Who I had the distinct honor of being Windycon 49’s guest of honor with. Trevor is a comic writer from Chicago and has won several awards (like the Harvey Awards) and is the writer / artist / creator of several award-winning webcomic series and a fellow nerd with sacrasm flowing through his veins. But enough puff. That’s now why we are here is it?
The Apocalypse Has Happened.
Demon City: Hell On Earth is Trevor’s latest creation, and it’s everything I want in Urban Fantasy. Demons returning to the world? Check. A mix of supernatural lore crossed with gritty detective references? Check. Murderous side bets for cash and a demon trying to do right? Check. It’s billed as graphic novel for fans of Hellboy, Lovecraft, and Lethal Weapon (for those of us old enough to get that last reference). More importantly, I hate small run comics, so I gravitate to full graphic novels, and this thing is an actual 168 page full color hardcover.
Which means I have shit to read! Graphic Novels are something I’ve fallen in love with. I get a complete story, plus the art, and it doesn’t take me five minutes to burn through and then wonder what I’m going to do with the rest of my time. With the plotline set up for Demon City, it could run for ages.
Urban Fantasy is a compelling genre simply because it’s relatable but fantastical at the same time. Our current world is altered slightly in a way which allows the impossible to happen. In Demon City, the apocalyse has happened, and now demons roam the earth. Naturally, they aren’t going to be law abiding citizens, but humanity is doing it’s best. Detective Horace Nightengale is the first demon detective to swap sides (for motives yet to be revealed, but I suspect being freed from hell means you might want to keep your new house clean).
Their first case together is the last homicide that will ever happen. Because someone has just murdered Death, and now, no one else can die.
Let that thought sink in for a minute.
Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue? Sure, not dying is a nice perk when you live in a city with demons. But what about being dismembered? Can you still be injured? What if someone decides to solve their criminal problems by putting concrete shoes on people and store them in Lake Michigan where they just sit down there for years screaming into the watery abyss?
And then there are the implications that you can murder celestial concepts. Who is next on the hitlist? Dreams? Love?
I could ramble for ages, but basically, I’m excited. The artist Marco Perugini and Colorist Shan Bennion join Trevor in bringing the story to life in the perfect gritty style, and the letterer Micah Myers actually makes it legible :).
Demon City: Hell on Earth Volume 1 goes live on Crowdfunding October 1st, and you’ll always hear me champion why it’s important to support indie artists. It doesn’t hurt when it’s also a project that I’m backing the moment it goes live because I’m actually curious myself.
Rick Heinz is an urban fantasy author and writer of things that usually die. He also does game design, TTRPG writing, and is constantly trying to find ways to become an actual android.
